Chapter 1

Chapter 1

For the sake of love, I left Seattle and moved across the country to New York to marry Brody Sullivan.

I never expected to be drugged and kidnapped on the very day of our engagement.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, I overheard Brody talking to his assistant.

"Are the kidnappers and the surgeon ready? Harvest her kidney as fast as possible for Josie. Josie can't wait any longer."

The assistant hesitated, his voice full of pity.

"Miss Cross has always been frail. Losing a kidney might ruin the rest of her life."

His words stirred a tiny flicker of conscience in Brody.

"She will be fine. She is not a fragile little girl like Josie. Besides, she was just a scholarship student from a poor background. If her kidney hadn't matched Josie's, she never would have lived this kind of luxury. Isn't that worth a single kidney?"

With a cold face, he sealed my fate.

I dug my nails hard into my palms, swallowing the blood pooling at the corner of my lips.

The man I believed to be my true love was nothing more than a predator lurking in the dark.

He wanted to trade a fake marriage for my lifelong health.

Too bad for him, I didn't give a damn about his charity anymore.

...

When footsteps approached, I instinctively tried to open my eyes.

The next second, Brody's voice echoed nearby.

He had arrived late, bringing a draft of freezing air that made me shiver uncontrollably.

"Mr. Sullivan, are you sure about this? Miss Cross has suffered from chronic health issues over the years. I'm afraid she might not survive the risks of the organ removal."

That was his assistant's voice. Organ removal? Whose organ?

Confusion flooded my mind as Brody stepped closer, his tone bone-chilling.

"Everything we did was for this kidney. Do it now. Josie can't wait."

The cold tip of a needle pressed against my skin. To save Josie Hart, Brody was going to inject the sedative himself.

"Brody... Brody..."

To protect my kidney, I pretended to murmur his name in my sleep. He flinched, and the needle scraped against my skin, sending a violent shudder through me.

"Don't be scared, Janelle. I'm here. Just let the doctor examine you. Don't be afraid."

Sensing I was about to wake up, Brody shoved the needle into my arm.

Under the heavy rush of the drug, a tear slipped from the corner of my eye and landed on his chest before I plunged into total darkness.

I fell into a long, suffocating nightmare. I dreamed of a younger Brody holding a bouquet of white roses, confessing his passionate love to me.

He said, "Janelle, I will love you and protect you for the rest of my life."

Then the dream twisted violently. I saw Brody drenched in blood, brutally carving out my kidney with his bare hands.

He sneered at me, mocking my gullibility.

"Janelle Cross, did you really think I loved a penniless girl like you? I only got close to you for your kidney."

The scenes clashed in my mind. I clutched my head in terror, tears streaming down my face.

When I finally woke up, I found myself in Brody's arms. He stroked my cheek with deep guilt, trying to soothe me.

"It's okay, Janelle. You're safe now. I rescued you. The doctor said you just need to rest for a while, so don't be scared."

He gently patted my back with trembling hands. Anyone watching would have believed he was madly in love with me.

Even I was almost fooled by his award-winning acting.

If I hadn't overheard everything in my drugged haze, I would have clung to him right now, sobbing about my trauma.

"Janelle? Janelle, can you hear me?"

Seeing me stare blankly at the ceiling with tears in my eyes, Brody panicked and yelled for the medical team. He was furious, and the atmosphere in the VIP room dropped below freezing.

"What the hell is going on? Didn't you say she only lost a kidney and had some minor scrapes? Why is she acting like this? Give me an explanation right now!"

This private hospital belonged to the Sullivan family. In front of the big boss, even the chief of surgery dared not breathe.

Finally, annoyed by the noise, I rasped out, "I'm fine."

My hoarse voice snapped Brody back to his senses. He sat beside me, gently stroking my forehead.

"Thank God you're fine. You have no idea how worried we were... Josie cried so many times fearing something would happen to you. She's still waiting outside right now."

A woman who just received a stolen kidney couldn't wait to come flaunt her trophy?

I gripped the glass beside me tightly. Brody walked over and invited Josie into the room.

I had rarely seen him treat anyone so delicately, as if she were a precious porcelain doll.